Strainer System

ABSTRACT

A strainer for use with combining beverages and cold food includes a bottom section sized for insertion into a beverage container, and a side section projecting substantially vertically from the bottom section and sized for insertion into a portion of such beverage container. A method for retaining ice in a container capable of holding a liquid includes placing a strainer capable of retaining ice in a container capable of holding a liquid, adding ice to the container such that at least some of the ice is retained by the strainer, placing a liquid in the container, and removing the strainer from the container. A strainer system includes a receiving cup for the strainer capable of being stored within the strainer, and may also include a sleeve member for engaging with the strainer to block holes in an upper region of the permeable side section of the strainer.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 29/363,003 filed on Jun. 3, 2010, the entirety of which ishereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an improved strainer system structuredand adapted for a variety of uses with beverages and foods, includingroot beer floats and similar beverages involving liquids such ascarbonated beverages and foods such as ice cream.

BACKGROUND

A favorite cold and refreshing food treat for many people is known as a“float.” Floats typically include a beverage, such as root beer ororange soda, and a frozen dessert, such as ice cream or frozen yogurt,placed together in a glass. The person enjoying the float may, forexample, eat the ice cream with a spoon, or drink the beverage with orwithout a straw. For some, a float combines the refreshment of abeverage with the cool relief of a frozen dessert all in one, with acombination of flavors being superior to either individually.

However, when making floats, a problem can arise when mixing the frozentreat with a beverage. Root beer, orange soda, and other beverages,especially carbonated beverages, tend to foam up significantly whenpoured from a can or bottle into a glass containing ice cream or anotherfrozen treat. Sometimes, the beverage may fill only a fraction of theglass, while the foam rises to fill and even spill over the top of theglass. This creates a mess, as the foam may spill out. It also makes itdifficult to pour as much of the beverage into the glass as is desired,without taking time or effort to remove the foam or cause the foam tosubside, either by waiting for the foam's bubbles to burst, or by usinga utensil of some sort to reduce or remove the foam. This dirties moreutensils, takes time, increases the mess, and usually still leaves asubstantial amount of foam beyond the desired amount.

Even if the beverage is poured in the glass before adding the frozentreat, the beverage can foam up, and it may splash when poured and causea mess. The amount of foam may sometimes diminish somewhat if thebeverage bottle or can is cooled before the beverage comes in contactwith the frozen treat. However, foaming still occurs even if thebeverage is cooled, and it is often desired to make a float using abeverage when there has been no time or opportunity to cool the beveragecan or bottle in advance of making the float.

It is thus desirable to have a method of making floats that reduces theamount of foam in the float produced by the carbonated beverage with aminimum of effort and mess.

It is also desirable in some circumstances to have ice, fruits,garnishes, or other foods or cooling items come in contact with abeverage poured into a drinking container such as a glass or cup,without remaining in the container. For example, people withtemperature-sensitive teeth may want a beverage that is cool, butencounter discomfort if a beverage container with a drink contains icethat may come in contact with their teeth. Also, it is desirable toserve some beverages, such as wine and certain other alcoholic drinks,at a chilled temperature, but without ice remaining in the beveragecontainer that may dilute the beverage or lack the desired appearance.

Straining devices, including the Hawthorne strainer and a julepstrainer, exist to strain ice or garnishes as they are poured intobeverage containers. However, such strainers have limited utility beyondtheir specific purposes or with different sizes and shapes of beveragecontainers. Moreover, these devices are not designed for use withcarbonated beverages or by children, who may participate for example inmaking root beer float-type beverages. Moreover, these and other priorart strainers can create a mess when used with beverages or to rinsefoods. Carbonated beverages may bubble and foam quickly when poured overthe strainer, and seep through these prior art straining devices tocreate a mess while in use. Even after the strainers are done being usedand are allowed to drain for a period of time, such strainers maycontinue to drip water or liquid. These strainers are not suitable fordraining and serving foods such as fruits or vegetables. Such strainersas well as other typical strainers are not used for serving, at leastbecause of this leakage problem. These strainers have no means by whichto change their structure, shape or features to adapt to different sizesand shapes of beverage containers or different purposes. A strainer thatcan be adapted for use with such standard glasses as well as wineglasses and other glasses with rims that do not extend above some holesin the strainer would be desirable.

Some wines are recommended to be served at temperatures slightly orsignificantly lower than room temperature. While wines may be stored inrefrigerators or cellars to maintain a desired temperature, often timessuch storage is unavailable or limited, or time constraints precluderefrigeration from reducing the wine to the desired temperature. Servingwine over ice may reduce the temperature of the wine, but is viewed asundesirable by many wine drinkers for a number of reasons, including itstendency to cool the wine below the desired serving temperature and thedilution of the wine that may arise from the ice melting while in thewine. Plastic “ice” cubes may be used to cool wines, but need to becooled or frozen in advance of use, and may provide an appearance to thewine glass viewed by some as undesirable. A system and method forrapidly cooling wine to desired temperatures without serving the wine onice would be desirable.

A strainer system which reduced or eliminated these and other problemswhile being adaptable for different uses and different shapes and sizesof beverage containers would be desirable. It would also be desirablethat any strainer system adaptable for the above-described uses beefficiently designed to minimize the amount of space needed for use andstorage.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure is directed to a strainer system which reducedmesses and is useful for a variety of purposes including making rootbeer and other float-type beverages. Disclosed is a system including oneor more of a strainer, a cup for receiving the strainer, and a sleevefor changing the effective height of the straining zone of the strainer.The strainer may comprise a generally circular bottom section sized forinsertion into a single-serving beverage container; a side sectionprojecting substantially vertically from the bottom section and sizedfor insertion into a single-serving beverage container; at least one ofthe bottom and side sections being liquid permeable; the bottom sectionand side section separately or collectively capable of retaining icepieces, garnishes, or items to be rinsed such as fruits or vegetableswhen the strainer is lifted from a single-serving beverage container. Insome embodiments, the strainer has an upper portion with a shoulder orprojecting region that is capable of resting on or abutting a topportion of a beverage container or retaining a receiving cup.

A cup for receiving the strainer and retaining drainage from thestrainer is provided. The cup may be of a standard size used formeasuring serving portions, such as one cup (eight ounces). The cup mayhave a flange section extending around its top rim, with recesses at thelocation of extensions at the top of the strainer, such that the cup maybe retained insider the strainer when not in use.

A sleeve is provided which may be sized and tapered to fit within thestrainer and extend a portion of the distance into the strainer.Alternatively, the sleeve may be sized and tapered to slide on theoutside of the strainer. When inserted into or slid onto the outside ofthe strainer, the sleeve blocks the drainage out of the upper portion ofthe holes in the strainer, rendering the combination of the strainer andsleeve suitable for wine glasses or other beverage containers. Thesleeve that slides onto the outside of the strainer may also have alaterally extending shelf portion that may rest on the upper rim of aglass or other container to further inhibit leakage or spillage of foamor liquid above the top rim of the container.

Also disclosed is a method for exposing a liquid to ice or anothercooling surface and removing at least some ice pieces or a portion ofthe cooling surface from a container capable of holding a liquidcomprising: inserting a sleeve inside of a strainer or sliding a sleeveon the outside of a strainer as described above, placing a strainer withsuch sleeve engaged therewith and capable of retaining ice pieces into acontainer capable of holding a liquid; adding ice to the strainer;pouring a liquid over the strainer and into the container or otherwiseplacing a liquid in the container; and removing the strainer from thecontainer. In some embodiments, such as with wine, this processeffectively cools the wine without extended contact between the wine andthe ice in the strainer. In other embodiments, such as with makingfloats, the remaining liquid can then be combined with a cold treat withsignificantly reduced foaming of the beverage. In one embodiment of themethod comprises inserting a sleeve inside of a strainer or sliding asleeve on the outside of a strainer as described above, placing astrainer with such sleeve engaged therewith capable of retaining aplurality of ice pieces in a container capable of holding a carbonatedbeverage; adding a plurality of ice pieces to the strainer; pouring acarbonated beverage over the strainer and into the container orotherwise placing a carbonated beverage in the container such that thecarbonated beverage is cooled; and removing the strainer from thecontainer. Ice cream or other frozen treats may be added to the beveragein a variety of sizes and shapes of glasses and other containers withsignificantly reduced foaming and mess. The strainer, sleeve, and cupmay be sized such that, when not in use, the sleeve and cup may bestored inside the strainer or the strainer stored inside the sleeve orcup, reducing the storage space needed.

The above summary is not intended to describe each disclosed embodimentor every implementation. The figures and the detailed description thatfollow more particularly exemplify these embodiments.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an example embodiment of a strainer.

FIG. 2 shows a bottom section of the strainer of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows another example embodiment of a strainer.

FIG. 4 shows another example embodiment of a strainer.

FIG. 5 shows another example embodiment of a strainer.

FIG. 6 shows an example method for using a strainer.

FIG. 7 shows the strainer of FIG. 1 having ice cubes therein andpositioned in an example glass.

FIG. 8 shows the strainer and glass of FIG. 7 with an example beveragebeing poured into the glass.

FIG. 9 shows the strainer and glass of FIG. 8 with the strainer beingpartially removed from the glass.

FIG. 10 shows the glass of FIG. 9 with the strainer completely removedtherefrom.

FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of a strainer.

FIG. 12 shows a side view of the strainer of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 shows a top view of the strainer of FIG. 11.

FIG. 14 shows a perspective view of the strainer of FIG. 11 positionedin a sleeve.

FIG. 15 shows a side view of a strainer stored in a receiving sleeve.

FIG. 16 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of a sleevepositioned within the strainer of FIG. 11.

FIG. 17 shows a perspective view of the sleeve of FIG. 16 removed fromthe strainer.

FIG. 18 shows a side view of another embodiment of a sleeve forinserting in a strainer.

FIG. 19 shows the sleeve of FIG. 18 inserted in a strainer, in use witha wine glass.

FIG. 20 shows a side view of another alternative embodiment of a sleevefor sliding on the outside of a strainer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure is directed to a strainer system useful withpreparing floats such as root beer floats, and an apparatus useful inmaking root beer and other float-type beverages as well as other cooledor mixed beverages, and for rinsing and draining foods such as fruitsand vegetables, for use with a variety of beverage or other containers,and with a minimum of mess during and after use.

As used herein, “carbonated” beverages generally refers to beveragesthat are capable of generating bubbles or foam when poured, whether ornot this capability arose through a process that would be considered byone of skill in the art to be a “carbonation” process or not.

One example embodiment of a strainer 10 is shown in FIG. 1. Additionaldetails regarding strainer 10 can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,685,936,which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Strainer 10 as shown has a generally circular bottom section 18connected to a generally cylindrical side section 22. The strainerallows liquid to pass through it upon removal from glass, but hasapertures or another straining structure to either retain foamy residueof carbonated beverage or to reduce the foamy residue by contactingbubble-like surfaces.

An optional gripping member 24 is connected to side section 22 andprovides a surface to grip by hand or otherwise for lifting or movingthe strainer. This gripping member 24 may project from side of strainer10 so that the member 24 may rest on the top edge of a beveragecontainer in which the strainer is placed for easier removal, especiallywhen the strainer is shorter than the beverage container.

The strainer as shown is shaped generally cylindrically to fit within adrinking glass or other beverage container. The strainer need not begenerally cylindrical, but can be shaped such that its width isgenerally narrower than the interior diameter of the beverage containerwith which it will be used.

FIG. 2 shows a bottom view of strainer 10 with bottom section 18. Thebottom section as shown is generally circular, but could be oval,square, or some other shape.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the strainer is liquid permeable through useof a wire mesh construction. Alternatively, either or both of the bottomor side sections of the strainer may use an alternative liquid permeableconstruction such as that shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 shows an example strainer 30 with a bottom section 32, sidesection 34 and optional grippable member 36 comprising a material havingholes such as hole 38. This construction may utilize an integrallyformed plastic material. Alternatively, a combination of materials maybe used.

Either the bottom or side sections may in whole or in part lackpermeability, although one of the two sections may have some capabilityof allowing liquid to exit the strainer when it is removed from abeverage container while the strainer remains capable of retaining icepieces.

For example, FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of a strainer 70 whereinbottom section 72 and an upper section 76 of side section 74 are notpermeable, but the remainder 78 of side section 74 is permeable toliquid.

As another alternative, the strainer may have a construction as shown inFIG. 5. FIG. 5 shows a strainer 80 with side section 86 shaped so thatit also provides the bottom section through a tapering section 88 at thebottom. The tapering section may enclose the bottom, or generally narrowat the bottom to leave an opening. In the example shown, taperingsection 88 of strainer 80 forms an inverted cone shape.

An example method of using the strainer is now described. As shown byflow chart 100 in FIG. 6, the strainer is placed in a beverage containersuch as a glass in step 102. At step 106, ice cubes or other ice piecesare placed in the strainer. When the strainer is in the glass and hasice (or some other beverage cooling material, although herein suchmaterials are called “ice” to include both ice and such other materials,such as cooling plastic cubes) in it, it may have the appearance of FIG.7.

FIG. 7 shows a container such as glass 140, holding strainer 10 havingice 150 inside. The order of steps may vary, but generally it ispreferred to place the strainer in the container before placing the icein the strainer.

With the ice in the strainer and container, the beverage is poured intothe glass as indicated at step 110 of FIG. 6. Again, the beverage may bepoured into the glass before the strainer with ice is added, butgenerally it is preferred to perform the steps in the order depicted inFIG. 6.

FIG. 8 shows one example of step 110. A can 154 having a beverage 158such as root beer or another carbonated beverage is poured into glass140. Foam 162 forms when the beverage 158 is poured into glass 140having strainer 10 and retaining ice 150. Liquid 166 is also retained inglass 140.

In the example method shown, the liquid poured into the glass is acarbonated beverage such as root beer, a cola beverage, or a flavoredsoda such as orange or lemon-lime flavored soda. When the carbonatedbeverage contacts the ice, bubbles and/or foam (e.g., foam 162) may becreated, and the beverage will probably be cooled (depending in part onits temperature when poured). Typically, the bubbling or foam productionwill slow and bubbles or foam disappear within a few seconds or moments.

Once some amount of time has passed after the beverage and ice contacteach other, the strainer is lifted out of the container as indicated atstep 114 of FIG. 6.

As shown in FIG. 9, the optional gripping member 24 may (or may not) beused for this step. When the strainer 10 is removed from the beveragecontainer 140, the beverage 166 generally remains in the container,while the portions of the ice 150 that do not melt or slip through thestrainer will be removed from the container along with the strainer.Depending on such factors as the size of the ice pieces and the amountof time that the ice sits in the container, the ice may be a significantportion of the ice added to the strainer originally, or not.

The strainer may be removed to another location, such as a sink or bowl,where the ice may be dumped out, allowed to melt, or retained forpossible re-use.

Once the strainer is removed, ice cream or other suitable cold food suchas sherbet, ice milk, or gelato, is added to the container to make afloat. This step is described at step 118 of FIG. 6 and in FIG. 10.Because the liquid 166 in the container 140 has already had anopportunity to bubble or create foam, i.e. has “lost its fizz” at leastin part, the additional of the cold food 170 will typically generatesubstantially less foaming or bubbling than would be generated had thebeverage been poured into the container having the cold food inside.This allows the container to retain a greater amount of the beverage andcold food without having as much foam and with the combination lesslikely to overflow the container.

Alternatively, ice generally cools the beverage directly, but may alsocool the strainer or the glass, for example when the strainer is made ofmetal. In that situation, the ice may be added to the strainer to makethe strainer cold, and then removed before the beverage is poured in.The strainer may also be made of a material that would allow it to beplaced in a freezer to be cooled down, then inserted into the beveragecontainer and used to cool the beverage without adding ice.

Often, once the cold food is added, there maybe room in the container topour more beverage in. An optional additional step includes adding moreof beverage, such as the carbonated beverage originally poured into thecontainer. Even though the added carbonated beverage may retainsignificant “fizz” or carbonation when poured, and create some foam suchas foam 174 in FIG. 10, generally adding a beverage to the containeralready having the cold food and some beverage in the glass willgenerate less foaming or bubbling than had the above-described processnot been followed, and excess foaming and spillage will this still beavoided.

By using the strainer structure described herein, with the variousmethods described or otherwise, root beer floats, orange floats, andother drinks incorporating carbonated beverages and cold foods can beenjoyed with more of the beverage and food in the container, and lessfoam, bubbles, and mess.

In example embodiments, the generally cylindrical shape for the straineralso provides the advantage of fitting easily in the proper location forreceiving ice under automatic ice dispensers as are found, for example,on the front of many refrigerators. The strainer can, but notnecessarily, have a rigid construction that facilitates activation of alever that typically initiates dispensing ice from such ice dispensers.

FIGS. 11-14 show another embodiment of a strainer 200. The strainer 200has a tapering or conical shape suitable for insertion into a beveragecontainer such as a glass or mug. The upper portion 202 is wider thanthe lower portion 212. The upper portion 202 has a shoulder orprojecting portion 204 at its lower end. At least the lower portion 212has holes for drainage and straining. A middle portion 214 may also havedrainage holes, or the holes in this region may be eliminated to reduceleakage. The strainer may be used with a sleeve as discussed below,especially when the strainer has holes in the upper region 214. FIG. 13also shows a bottom section 214 of the strainer, which may have holes.The strainer as shown has rows of generally circular holes, but avariety of shapes and configurations may be used, such as generally ovalshaped holes or holes in generally diagonal patterns or in variousgeometric shapes and patterns such as generally elliptical, circular,and triangular.

As shown in FIG. 14, the projecting portion of shoulder 204 may abut thetop or inside 213 of a beverage container 211 when the strainer 200 isinserted into a beverage container, substantially eliminatingsignificant gaps between the outside of the strainer and the glass orother container in which the strainer is placed. This may be desirableto impede beverages or the foaming or bubbling of beverages over the toprim of the beverage container when the strainer is inserted into abeverage container, reducing messes. The shoulder or projecting portion204 may project around substantially the entire circumference of thestrainer such that it is capable of resting on substantially the entirethe top edge of a beverage container in which the strainer is inserted,also impeding the leakage of foam, beverages, or other substances overthe top edge of the container and reducing spillage. The upper portion202 may also have a thicker or sturdier construction than the lowerportion 212, to facilitate resting the strainer on the top rim of aglass or other container as well as to facilitate use of the strainerwith levers used to dispense ice from automatic ice makers.

The strainer shown in FIGS. 11-14 also includes optional flanges orextending portions 206 and 208. These flanges provide a gripping area toremove the strainer from beverage containers or otherwise transport orrotate the strainer. The flanges as shown also project laterally suchthat the strainer may rest atop even beverage containers withparticularly large openings, such as souvenir cups sold at sportingevents. The flanges may also be shaped to fit with recesses in areceiving cup, as described below. The flanges may alternatively takethe form of a laterally projecting rim that extends around the entirecircumference of the strainer, to provide another structure for reducingor preventing spillage over the top edge of the strainer.

FIG. 15 shows a strainer system including a strainer 200 as describedabove, and a receiving cup 220. Receiving cup 220 is sized to receivestrainer 200 such that strainer 200 remains in a generally uprightposition, rather than tipping over. The strainer 200 may be insertedinto the cup when filled with ice or after being used to prepare abeverage or rinse food, so that the cup may collect any melting ice,water or other drainage. Receiving cup 220 may have an upper rim 226with recesses 222 shaped and sized to allow flange 206 and 208 to fitwithin the recesses when the receiving cup is stored within thestrainer. Receiving cup 220 may also be used to measure or receiveservings of fruits, vegetables, other foods or beverages, or ice. Aninterior size for the receiving cup may be one-cup (eight fluid ounces),a common serving portion.

The receiving cup and strainer system may be used in a variety of ways.For example, a serving of fruit may be poured into receiving cup 220.The cup may be sized as described above to measure the appropriateserving size, or include markings corresponding to desired servingsizes. The serving of fruit or vegetables may then be poured intostrainer 200. The fruit may be rinsed within strainer 200. Once thefruit or vegetables are rinsed, the strainer may be stored within thereceiving cup as shown in FIG. 15. The material used for the strainerand cup may be suitable for use in a microwave oven, in which case foodmay be heated in the strainer and cup before serving. In any event, thecombination strainer and cup may be used to serve the fruit orvegetables, eliminating the need to transfer the drained or heated foodto a different serving container. The cup also serves to retain anymoisture or other material that may continue to drain from strainer 200after rinsing or use.

The strainer system may also be used for cooling wine. The strainersystem may quickly reduce the temperature of wine without requiring thatthe wine be served on ice, which is considered undesirable by somepeople for many wines. The strainer may be placed in a wine glass, andthe sleeve insert placed with the strainer. In one embodiment thestrainer lacks holes in the upper region 214 so its liquid permeablesection does not extend over the rim of the wine glass, to minimizespillage or leakage. The strainer may be wholly or partially filled withice cubes, ice chips, crushed ice, or ice in other forms. The wine maybe quickly poured through the strainer and into the wine glass, and thestrainer removed from the wine glass in a matter of seconds. Evenquickly exposing the wine to crushed ice in the strainer has been foundto reduce the wine more than twenty degrees from above 70 degreesFahrenheit (F.) to below 50 degrees F., within the range often preferredfor white wines. Less ice or ice with less surface area exposed to thewine than crushed ice, such as ice cubes, may be used for a lessertemperature reduction, as may be desired for red wines, many of whichare preferably served between about 55 and 66 degrees F.

If no direct exposure to ice is desired, the strainer may still be used.A liquid cooling device other than ice, such as plastic “ice cubes,” maybe placed in the strainer to cool the wine without directly exposing theliquid to ice. Another liquid cooling device may be comprised of icestored in a bag or sealed container capable of conducting the coolingeffect of the ice to its exterior surface that contacts the wine. Thebag or container is placed in the strainer. These methods also may beused to cool other beverages than wine, such as mixed alcoholic drinksand juice.

When the strainer 200 and receiving cup 220 are not in use, they may bestored such that cup 220 may be inserted into strainer 200. The cup mayhave recesses 222 and 224 sized to receive strainer flanges 206 and 208.The cup and strainer thus occupy minimal space when stored.

FIGS. 16 and 17 show an insert 260 for use with strainer 200. Insert 260includes a cup portion 261 sized to be received in strainer 200. Insert260 also has a projecting upper rim 262 with at least one recess 263capable of receiving strainer flanges 206 and 208 to at least partiallyretain insert 260 in position when insert 260 is stored in strainer 200.

FIGS. 18 and 19 show an insert 230 in use with strainer 200, therebyadapting the strainer having holes in the middle region 234 for use withwine glasses 241 or other beverage containers which have upper rimsbelow at least some of the holes of the middle region 234 of thestrainer when the strainer is placed inside the containers. Insert 230has a tapered shape capable of sliding into an upper sleeve receivingportion 232 of strainer 200. The sleeve extends into the strainer only aportion of the total length of the strainer, to ensure that the holes236 in the lower portion of the strainer may serve to allow liquid topass between the strainer and the glass in which the strainer isinserted. The exterior of the sleeve is sized and shaped to rest againstthe upper sleeve receiving portion 232, thereby blocking or impeding theflow of liquid through the holes of the middle region 234. By impedingsuch flow, which may otherwise cause liquid to flow out of the strainerabove the top edge of the beverage container, leakage is minimized.Thus, the same strainer is adaptable for use both with taller beveragecontainers and with wine glasses or other relatively shorter containers.

FIG. 20 shows an alternative embodiment of a sleeve 240 in which thesleeve is sized to slide onto the exterior of strainer 200. Thisembodiment includes a projecting rim section 244 capable of resting onor near the rim of a wine glass or other glass or beverage drinkingcontainer in which the strainer and sleeve 240 are placed. The sleeve240 not only blocks wine from flowing out of any holes 234 in the middleregion of strainer 200, but also blocks the flow of liquid or foam abovethe projecting rim, further minimizing spills and leaks.

Multiple versions of sleeves 230, 240 may be provided of differingsizes, to adapt the strainer for use with a variety of shapes and sizesof beverage containers. A longer sleeve, or a narrower sleeve that fitsnear the bottom of the strainer, for example, may be desirable forparticularly shallow glasses such as martini glasses. A sleeve may alsobe sized to block the holes above the top of the receiving cup 220. Thismay also facilitate the use of the strainer and cup to microwavevegetables with a minimum of leakage or mess. The sleeve 230 also mayreadily be stored within the strainer when not in use, saving storagespace.

The system as described may include the combinations of (1) strainer andcup, (2) strainer and sleeve insert, (3) strainer, cup and sleeveinsert. As described above, the cup and sleeve insert may both be sizedto readily store inside the strainer. Moreover, the three pieces may besized such that the sleeve and cup may both be stored within thestrainer simultaneously, for example by inserting the sleeve inside thestrainer, and then inserting the cup inside the sleeve and strainer.

The present disclosure should not be considered limited to theparticular examples described above, but rather should be understood tocover all aspects as fairly set out in the attached claims. Variousmodifications, equivalent processes, as well as numerous structures maybe applicable will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art uponreview of the instant specification.

1. A strainer for use with combining beverages and cold food, thestrainer comprising: a bottom section sized for insertion into abeverage container; and a side section extending vertically from thebottom section and sized for insertion into a portion of the beveragecontainer, the side section having an upper portion having a shoulderthat projects substantially laterally with respect to the upper portion;wherein at least one of the bottom section and at least a lower portionof the side section is liquid permeable; and wherein the bottom sectionand the side section are separately or collectively capable of retainingice pieces when the strainer is inside the beverage container, and theupper portion projects substantially around a circumference of thestrainer such that the shoulder is capable of resting on a top edge ofthe beverage container in which the strainer is inserted to impedeleakage of foam or liquid from the beverage container.
 2. A strainersystem, comprising: a strainer, the strainer having: a bottom sectionsized for insertion into a beverage container; a side section projectingsubstantially vertically from the bottom section and sized for insertioninto a portion of the beverage container; and an upper portion having ashoulder that projects laterally to impede leakage of foam or liquidfrom the beverage container; wherein at least one of a bottom and sidesections is liquid permeable; and wherein the bottom section and theside section are separately or collectively capable of retaining icepieces when the strainer is in the beverage container; and a firstsleeve insert capable of being retained in an upper region of theinterior of the strainer such that the first sleeve impedes apermeability of an upper section of a liquid permeable section and ispositioned above a lower section of the interior of the strainer havinga liquid permeable section.
 3. The strainer system of claim 2, furthercomprising a cup sized to receive at least a portion of the strainersuch that the strainer is configured to be placed within the cup toallow drainage into the cup.
 4. The strainer system of claim 2, furthercomprising a cup sized to receive at least a portion of the strainersuch that the strainer is capable of being placed within the cup toallow drainage into the cup, wherein the cup is sized such that at leasta portion is capable of being inserted into the strainer.
 5. Thestrainer system of claim 2, wherein the strainer has at least one flangeprojection extending laterally from the upper portion of the strainer,and wherein a cup has a projecting upper rim with at least one recesscapable of receiving the flange projection to at least partially retainthe cup in position when the cup is stored in the strainer.
 6. Thestrainer system of claim 2, wherein the first sleeve insert is placedwithin the strainer, and further comprising a wine glass capable ofreceiving the strainer engaged with the first sleeve insert.
 7. Thestrainer system of claim 2, further comprising at least a second sleeveinsert of a different size than the first sleeve insert and capable ofbeing retained in a second upper region of the interior of the strainersuch that the second sleeve insert impedes the permeability of adifferent portion of the upper section of the liquid permeable sectiondifferent than the portion of the upper section impeded by the firstsleeve insert and sized to be positioned above a lower region of theinterior of the strainer having the liquid permeable section.
 8. Amethod for cooling beverages, comprising: engaging a sleeve member witha strainer capable of retaining ice such that a lower portion of thestrainer remains liquid permeable and the sleeve member impedes apermeability of a middle liquid permeable portion of the strainer;placing the strainer in a beverage drinking container; adding ice to thestrainer either before or after placing the strainer in the beveragedrinking container such that at least some ice is retained by thestrainer; pouring a beverage over the strainer while the sleeve memberis engaged with the strainer and while the strainer is in the beveragedrinking container such that the beverage is cooled and exits thestrainer through said lower portion of the strainer and is retained inthe beverage drinking container; and removing the strainer from thebeverage drinking container after pouring the beverage.
 9. The method asin claim 8, wherein the beverage is wine.
 10. The method as in claim 9,wherein the beverage drinking container is a wine glass.
 11. The methodas in claim 8, wherein the sleeve member has a projectingcircumferential rim and the strainer engages with the sleeve member byinserting the strainer into the sleeve member, and wherein the placingthe strainer least partially within the beverage drinking containerfurther comprises placing the strainer with the sleeve member engagedtherewith such that a projecting rim of the sleeve member in which thestrainer is inserted rests on or near a top edge of the beveragedrinking container.